U.S. patent application number 12/076504 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-25 for assembly of a bodywork part and a headlight glass for a motor vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to COMPAGNIE PLASTIC OMNIUM. Invention is credited to Pascal Barbier, Lilian Garboud, David Goffart, Marc Verwaerde.
Application Number | 20080232126 12/076504 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38670027 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080232126 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goffart; David ; et
al. |
September 25, 2008 |
Assembly of a bodywork part and a headlight glass for a motor
vehicle
Abstract
The invention relates to an assembly of a bodywork part (10) and
a headlight glass (12) for a motor vehicle, the headlight glass
having an outline (14) designed to be engaged in an opening in the
bodywork part, the opening being defined by an outline (16) in the
bodywork part that is substantially complementary to the outline of
the headlight glass, in which assembly at least part of the outline
of the bodywork part (10) co-operates with the outline of the
headlight glass (12) by elastic deformation.
Inventors: |
Goffart; David; (Lyon,
FR) ; Garboud; Lilian; (Lagnieu, FR) ;
Verwaerde; Marc; (Moras, FR) ; Barbier; Pascal;
(Oyonnax, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 320850
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320-4850
US
|
Assignee: |
COMPAGNIE PLASTIC OMNIUM
Lyon
FR
|
Family ID: |
38670027 |
Appl. No.: |
12/076504 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/507 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60Q 1/0466 20130101;
B62D 65/16 20130101; B62D 25/16 20130101; B60Q 1/0458 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/507 |
International
Class: |
B60Q 1/04 20060101
B60Q001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 20, 2007 |
FR |
0753937 |
Claims
1. An assembly of a bodywork part and a headlight glass for a motor
vehicle, the bodywork part being positioned around the headlight
glass, the assembly being characterized in that the headlight glass
has an outline that is engaged at least in part in an opening in
the bodywork part, the opening being defined by an outline in the
bodywork part that is substantially complementary, at least in
part, to the outline of the headlight glass, in which assembly at
least part of the outline of the bodywork part co-operates with the
outline of the headlight glass by elastic deformation.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the outline of the
bodywork part is closed and presents a perimeter that, when the
bodywork part is isolated from the headlight glass, is shorter than
or equal to the perimeter of the outline of the headlight
glass.
3. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the bodywork part
includes an elastically deformable portion situated over the
headlight glass when the bodywork part and the headlight glass are
assembled together.
4. An assembly according to claim 2, in which the bodywork part
includes an elastically deformable portion, the assembly further
including reinforcement for the bodywork part, the reinforcement
being fitted to a portion of the bodywork part that is distinct
from its deformable portion.
5. An assembly according to claim 1, further including an elastomer
arranged between the bodywork part and the headlight glass, or
between the bodywork part and a headlight unit on which the
headlight glass is fitted.
6. An assembly according to claim 5, in which the elastomer
presents non-uniform flattening properties along its length.
7. An assembly according to claim 6, in which the elastomer is a
foam of density that varies along its length.
8. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the bodywork part
includes spacer ribs in the vicinity of its outline.
9. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the bodywork part is
a fender.
10. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the elastic
deformation of the bodywork part comprises stretching the outline
of the bodywork part around the glass.
11. A method of assembling a bodywork part and a headlight glass
for a motor vehicle, in which method the headlight glass has an
outline for engaging at least in part in an opening in the bodywork
part that is defined by an outline in the bodywork part that is
substantially complementary, at least in part, to the outline of
the headlight glass, during which method, in order to assemble the
headlight glass with the bodywork part, the opening in the bodywork
part is enlarged by being deformed elastically, the opening
continuing to be elastically deformed once the bodywork part and
the headlight glass have been assembled together.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of bodywork parts
and headlight glasses for motor vehicles.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] It is known that putting a bodywork part into a reference
position around a headlight glass so as to obtain satisfactory
clearance and a flush configuration constitutes an on-going concern
for motor vehicle manufacturers.
[0003] In order to improve this positioning, document FR 2 855 800
already discloses a module that is fitted to the vehicle, the
module comprising a fender, a headlight block with a glass having
an outline designed to be engaged in an opening in the fender that
is defined by an outline substantially complementary to the outline
of the headlight glass, together with a receiver structure for
receiving the headlight block. That receiver structure is designed
to improve the positioning of the headlight glass relative to the
fender.
[0004] Nevertheless, it continues to be difficult to achieve good
positioning of the headlight glass relative to the fender, given
that the dimensions of headlight glasses can vary considerably from
one another, as a result of manufacturing tolerances.
Proposed Solution
[0005] The invention seeks to provide an assembly of at least one
bodywork part with a headlight glass, guaranteeing that the
headlight glass is properly positioned relative to the surrounding
bodywork parts.
[0006] To this end, the invention provides an assembly of a
bodywork part and a headlight glass for a motor vehicle, the
headlight glass having an outline designed to be engaged at least
in part in an opening in the bodywork part, the opening being
defined by an outline in the bodywork part that is substantially
complementary, at least in part, to the outline of the headlight
glass, in which assembly at least part of the outline of the
bodywork part co-operates with the outline of the headlight glass
by elastic deformation.
[0007] It should be observed that the outline of the headlight
glass delimits the portion of the glass that is visible from the
outside of the vehicle. Thus, this outline can be framed by a
peripheral edge of the glass that is not visible from the outside,
e.g. being designed for fastening the glass on a headlight box.
Furthermore, headlight glass may be an isolated part, or else it
may be formed integrally with a headlight box.
Particular Advantages
[0008] Because of the elastic deformation, the bodywork part is
positioned in particularly effective manner around the headlight
glass since the clearances traditionally formed between the
headlight glass and a bodywork part are reduced considerably. This
provides an assembly that is suitably positioned regardless of
dispersions in the dimensions of headlight glasses, or indeed in
bodywork parts, and not only is this done with reduced clearance,
but also with clearance that is constant.
[0009] In addition, it is particularly easy to position the
bodywork part around the headlight glass, thereby reducing assembly
costs. The co-operation by means of elastic deformation enables the
bodywork part to be merely threaded around the headlight glass
without it being necessary to provide any difficult positioning
operations.
Particular Embodiments
[0010] The outline of the bodywork part is preferably closed and
presents a perimeter that, when isolated from the headlight glass,
is shorter than or equal to the perimeter of the headlight glass.
Thus, since the opening in the bodywork part is smaller than the
outline of the headlight glass, it is guaranteed that co-operation
will take place by elastic deformation without there being any risk
of undesirable clearances being created between the headlight glass
and certain portions of the bodywork part. This also ensures that
the bodywork part is held securely around the headlight glass. It
should be observed that when there is a gasket interposed between
the bodywork part and the glass, the perimeter of the outline of
the bodywork part can also be shorter than or equal to the
perimeter of the gasket associated with the glass, when the gasket
is mounted on the headlight glass, or else that the perimeter of
the gasket associated with the bodywork part, when the gasket is
mounted on the bodywork part, is shorter than or equal to the
perimeter of the outline of the headlight glass.
[0011] The invention may also include one or more of the following
characteristics. [0012] The bodywork part includes an elastically
deformable portion situated above the headlight glass when the
bodywork part and the headlight glass are assembled together.
[0013] The assembly further includes reinforcement for the bodywork
part that is fitted to a portion of the bodywork part that is
distinct from its deformable portion. The reinforcement can serve
for example to perform the function preventing the bodywork part
from blistering, or it can act as a support for the headlight unit.
Since the reinforcement needs to be stiff to some extent, the
portion of the bodywork part against which it is fitted becomes
relatively stiff, which is why it is preferable for the bodywork
part to have no reinforcement in its deformable portion. For
example, the reinforcement may extend as a U-shape around the
outline of the bodywork part, thereby leaving a portion of the
outline disengaged so as to enable the bodywork part to deform. The
reinforcement may also be in the form of a closed rim or a rim with
a small opening around the outline of the bodywork part so as to
strengthen it, while defining a space relative to the outline of
the bodywork part, at least in a portion of said outline, which
space is in register with the deformable portion of the bodywork
part. [0014] The assembly also includes, over at least a portion of
the outline of the headlight glass, an elastomer that is arranged
between the bodywork part and the headlight glass, or else between
the bodywork part and a headlight box on which the headlight glass
is fitted. It is thus possible to flatten the gasket between the
bodywork part and the headlight unit of the vehicle, thereby having
the effect of accommodating dispersions in dimensions from one
headlight glass to another. Consequently, the same bodywork part
can be associated with a gasket that will be very highly compressed
if the glass is of large dimension, and that is compressed
relatively little otherwise, but in both configurations the
clearance will be regular. [0015] The elastomer presents
non-uniform flattening properties along its length, so as to make
the deformation of the bodywork part uniform. Certain portions of
the outline of the bodywork part are liable to deform more than
others, and that could give rise to different clearance along the
outline of the part. Thus, in order to accommodate these
differences in flexibility in the bodywork part, the elastomer may
flatten to a greater extent in register with flexible zones of the
bodywork part, and may be more resistant to flattening in register
with zones of the bodywork part that deform little, so as to
maintain constant clearance in spite of the differences in
flexibility. [0016] The elastomer is a foam of density that varies
along its length. [0017] The bodywork part includes spacer ribs in
the vicinity of its outline. These serve to guarantee minimum
clearance between the bodywork part and the headlight glass, in
particular in zones where the elastomer runs the risk of being
compressed excessively. [0018] The bodywork part is a fender.
[0019] The outline of the bodywork part defining the opening is
closed. [0020] The elastic deformation of the bodywork part
comprises stretching of the outline of the bodywork part around the
glass. The deformation is thus understood as being deformation that
is continuous, being distributed over a certain area and along the
outline of the bodywork part. The bodywork part thus has an
elastically deformable portion that preferably occupies more than
20% of the outline of the headlight glass. It should be observed
that this continuous deformation differs from localized or discrete
elastic deformation, such as the deformation of one or more
resilient tongues made in the vicinity of the outline of the
bodywork part. Furthermore, the portion of the bodywork part that
is deformed elastically is preferably visible from the outside of
the vehicle. Since the bodywork part is deformed by being
stretched, rather than being subjected to deformation locally, the
deformation is distributed along the outline and is therefore not
visible to the naked eye, so there is no need for it to be
performed in a portion of the bodywork part that is not
visible.
[0021] The invention also applies a method of assembling a bodywork
part and a headlight unit for a motor vehicle, in which the
headlight glass has an outline that is designed to be engaged in an
opening of the bodywork part that is defined by an outline of the
bodywork part that is substantially complementary to the outline of
the headlight glass, during which method, in order to assemble the
headlight glass with the bodywork part, the opening in the bodywork
part is enlarged.
[0022] The invention also provides a method of assembling a
bodywork part with a headlight glass for a motor vehicle, in which
the headlight glass has an outline that is designed to be engaged
at least in part in an opening in the bodywork part that is defined
by an outline in the bodywork part that is substantially
complementary, at least in part, to the outline of the headlight
glass, during which method, in order to assemble the headlight
glass with the bodywork part, the opening in the headlight is
enlarged by being deformed elastically, the opening continuing to
be elastically deformed once the bodywork part and the headlight
glass have been assembled together. It should be observed that this
method differs from a method of assembly by snap-fastening, during
which elastic deformation does no more take place once the bodywork
part and the headlight glass have been assembled together.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE
[0023] The invention can be better understood on reading the
following description given purely by way of example and made with
reference to the sole FIGURE, corresponding to a diagrammatic face
view of an assembly comprising a bodywork part and a headlight
glass of the invention.
[0024] The FIGURE shows a bodywork part comprising a motor vehicle
front fender 10 made of a plastics material, e.g. polypropylene.
The FIGURE also shows a headlight glass 12 fitted on a headlight
box (not shown).
[0025] The glass 12 has an outline 14 defining the portion of the
glass 12 that is visible from outside the vehicle when the assembly
comprising the fender 10 and the glass 12 is mounted on the
vehicle. The outline 14 is designed to be engaged in an opening in
the fender 10, the opening being defined by an outline 16 in the
fender that is substantially complementary to the outline 14 of the
headlight glass 12.
[0026] In order to ensure that the outline 16 in the fender 10
co-operates by elastic deformation with the outline 14 of the glass
12, the perimeter of the outline 16, when the glass and the fender
are isolated from each other, is shorter than the perimeter of the
outline 14 of the glass 12, account being taken of the presence of
a gasket, if any.
[0027] Provision is made for certain portions of the outline 16 of
the fender to be more deformable than others. Thus, the portion 18
of the outline 16 of the fender, situated substantially over the
glass 12 and corresponding to the most deeply cutout portion of the
fender, is more deformable than the portion of the outline situated
beneath the glass 12. This portion 18, referred to as the flexible
or deformable zone, is made more flexible than the remainder of the
outline 16 because no stiff element is applied thereto. In
contrast, in the other portion of the outline 16, reinforcement 20
for the headlight block is fitted (as shown in dashed lines), such
that this portion is relatively rigid and deforms very little. The
reinforcement 20 which extends around the outline 16 so as to form
a rim with a small opening for preventing blistering of the fender,
however this rim leaves a space 19 between itself and a portion of
the outline 16, this space being in register with the flexible zone
18 of the fender. Thus, the reinforcement 20 is not fitted behind
the flexible zone 18 so as to leave this zone 18 free to deform. In
a variant that is not shown, the reinforcement could equally well
be in the form of a closed rim.
[0028] In order to make the clearance between the outlines 14 and
16 more uniform, a gasket 22 is provided between the fender 10 and
the glass 12. In the FIGURE, the gasket is provided only in
register with the flexible zone 18 of the fender, however it could
be provided all along the outline 16 in the fender. This gasket may
present differing deformation properties, for example it may be
made of foam having lower density in a portion 24 than in a portion
26. Provision can thus be made for the portion 24 of the gasket
that is situated in the most-deeply cut-out zone of the fender,
corresponding to a zone of the fender that is particularly
flexible, flattens more easily than the portion 26 of the gasket
that is situated in a zone of the fender that is somewhat less
deformable, so that the clearance is kept constant regardless of
the flexibility of the portions of the fender.
[0029] On its inside wall, the fender also includes spacing ribs,
in the vicinity of its outline 16.
[0030] Because of the deformable portion 18 of the fender 10, it is
possible to assemble the headlight glass 12 with the fender by
enlarging the opening in the fender 10, i.e. by lengthening the
perimeter of the outline 16. The outline 16 of the fender and the
outline 14 of the headlight glass thus co-operate, at least in the
vicinity of the flexible zone 18, by elastic deformation. This
guarantees minimum and constant clearance between these two
outlines. It will be understood that not only does deformation
occur during the assembly procedure, but that deformation also
remains after the bodywork part and the glass have been assembled
together, i.e. the opening is held in a deformed condition once the
part and the glass are in position. In other words, the perimeter
of the outline of the opening, once the part and the glass have
been positioned relative to each other, is longer than the
perimeter that the outline had before the part and the glass were
assembled together.
[0031] It should be observed that the flexible zone 18 in this
example is visible from outside the vehicle. It occupies an extent
of more than 20% of the perimeter of the headlight glass 12. This
flexible zone deforms continuously along the glass 12 so as to
enable the fender to be stretched around the glass. Because it is
visible to the outside, and also because it deforms in continuous
manner, this flexible zone 12 differs from a resilient tongue made
on an inside edge of the fender.
[0032] Finally, it should be observed that the invention is not
limited to the embodiment described above. The FIGURE shows a
closed outline 16 in the fender. Nevertheless, this outline could
be open, with the opening in which the headlight glass 12 is
engaged being defined by the fender 10 in co-operation with some
other bodywork part or reinforcement fastened to the bodywork
part.
[0033] Amongst the advantages of the invention, it will be
understood that elastic deformation continues to be present once
the bodywork part and the headlight glass have been finally
positioned relative to each other on the vehicle, thereby ensuring
minimum and constant clearance between these two elements in their
final position. It will be understood that such an assembly of the
bodywork part and the headlight glass differs from an assembly by
snap-fastening.
* * * * *